Speaker
Prof.
Cinzia Sada
(University of Padova)
Description
Venetian Glass is an amazing example of how art and science can combine to give fabulous results of beauty and performance. Venetian glassmaking dated back on the VIII century, when Venice was at the centre of important commercial exchange with the Middle East and opened to welcome new specialised skills. Made of various components, that mixed together can provide for a variety of different properties, the glass has been always a material full of surprises. Venetian glassmaking was an art, handed down from father to son, and now it has reached a very high level of technological advances and development. Apart from different colours that can be achieved by adding dopants or pigments, glass can be strengthened to resist to high temperature and to high pressures as well as can be moulded in various shapes.
In this lecture, the history of the glass with special attention to the venetian one will be presented, showing astonishing examples of beauty made by combining different properties of this material. The scientific explanation of its properties as well as its nature will be revised, with a trip from art to science and from science to art.
Some highlights on how to tailor its properties, to produce it in a controlled, as required in industrial processes, or in a creative and unique way, as art demands, will be discussed. Finally an outlook to Venetian glass and glass in general, with the relative perspectives and potentialities will be discussed.
References:
The lecture’ slides will be provided. A recent review on the Venetian glass is available at the following link: http://www.istitutoveneto.org/pdf/testi/vetro/ATTI%20Study%20Days%20on%20Venetian%20Glass%20Approximately%201600s.pdf
Primary author
Prof.
Cinzia Sada
(University of Padova)
